Whitney Houston’s wedding to Bobby Brown

As you’ve undoubtedly heard, Whitney Houston died over the weekend at the age of 48. Since this is a wedding blog, and not a sad times blog, let’s look at her happier days – specifically, her wedding to Bobby Brown.

Photo from Washington Post

Whitney Houston married Bobby Brown on July 18, 1992, at her home in New Jersey. There were about 800 guests at their wedding. The two met while attending the Soul Train Music Awards in 1989. She was dating Eddie Murphy when they met. I guess Whitney found someone better for party-all-the-time fun. You’re welcome for the link.

Recently, Whitney Houston’s been more infamous for her drug use and erratic behavior than her singing and acting, but in 1992, she was the Biggest Thing Ever. This wedding was a Brad-and-Angelina big deal.

Pics from LipstickAlley
Here’s their wedding altar – dripping with roses!

Wedding details from an article in Ebony, thanks to the Classic Whitney site:

Diane Johnson, who has been designing Houston's stage and personal wardrobes for years, co-designed the bridal gown with Marc Bouwer. "Whitney wanted to keep it a very simple design," says Johnson, who runs a boutique in East Orange, N.J., Houston's hometown. "The Lyon lace, imported from France, is the finest lace in the world. The lace made the dress." In addition, Johnson designed the groom's white double-breasted silk tuxedo and the bridesmaids' purple silk floor-length gowns with trains.

Purple, purple, everywhere!

Among the attendants were two of Houston closest pals, recording artists Priscilla (CeCe) Winans Love and Perry (Pebbles) Reid. The best man, Brown's brother, Tommy, and the groomsmen, who included Houston's brother, Michael,   were all attired in Johnson-designed purple tuxedos with matching purple alligator shoes that were custom-made in Italy. The four flower girls and three ring bearers were adorable in white and lavender.

"Purple is Whitney's favorite color," Johnson emphasizes. "She wanted everything in purple and lavender and white. She even decorates her Christmas tree in purple."

The couple exchanged identical platinum wedding bands. Hers had the words "Love, Bobby" in cut-out script, while his read, "Love, Whitney."

After Brown enthusiastically declared, "I do!!" and the couple were pronounced husband and wife, the guests were awed as seven white doves were released outside the gazebo. The couple then sealed the union with a long, passionate kiss during which Brown literally lifted his bride into the air as the jubilant guests applauded.

Looking happy!

Their reception lasted over 12 hours, and the couple went on a lavish honeymoon – a wedding present from their record companies.

I do not like the body language here. He looks like he’s taking possession of her, and her hands are twisted behind her back, as though she’s in handcuffs. Am I reading too much into this? Since they divorced: NO.

The two had one daughter – Bobby Kristina. They separated and divorced in 2006.

Aw, so pretty and 80s! I know it was the 90s, but there’s always a hangover for the first few years. The headpiece makes her look more ethereal, but I always loved her gorgeous, naturally voluminous hair.

Drew Barrymore engaged–again!

I can’t not love Drew Barrymore. I find her adorable. I remember once, YEARS ago, I was listening to some Rabbi-hosted talk show at, like 3am. The topic was love, relationships, or marriage, and for some reason Drew Barrymore called in. I guess she was up and randomly listening to talk radio too! She gushed about  love, and good for her, right? It doesn’t work out for her, but she always loves again anyway.

So, in that same vein, Drew Barrymore is engaged again. I thought she was still dating “Mac” from the Mac vs. P.C. commercials, but she’s been dating Will Kopelman since 2010. She says she’s already dreaming about the wedding.

She’s been married twice before. Her first marriage lasted one month, and her second marriage lasted about six months.

Her second husband was Tom Green, a comedian my husband inexplicably loves. This is for you, weirdo!

My husband: :D Me: :|

Seattle woman marries a building

I totally love out-there hippies, so I find this story really interesting.

My main objection is the singing of Jack Johnson during the ceremony

Babylonia Aivaz (awesome name, yes?) married a warehouse in Seattle at 10th Avenue and Union Street on Sunday, January 29, 2012.

She claims to be part of the Occupy Seattle protest, and she wants the building to be reclaimed as community space. Roughly 30 people attended the event, which was (my assumption:) organized to stop the demolition of the 107-year-old building. The building will be demolished to make way for new apartments.

The building is forced to say “I Do”

Aivaz claims the wedding is a gay union, because the building is a woman. Protesters were present because they are upset that she’s hurting the same-sex wedding cause…because buildings aren’t people, and this sounds like fodder for one of those  “What if people tried to marry snakes!!?” arguments.

Protesters, doin’ what they do.

So, what’s the point to all of this? I don’t know, Man. Seattle’s a funny place. Maybe it makes sense there.

I 100% support the right to protest things that seem unfair, but marrying a building is pointless, and protecting this grubby building from a timely demise is weird. It’s too bad they didn’t spend the same effort into figuring out actual plans for a community-positive function for the building. Maybe they could have gotten the neighborhood to rally behind them. It smells like fame-whoring to me.

Heidi Klum and Seal to rob the world of their love

The news of Heidi Klum and Seal’s divorce is SUCH A DOWNER, right? I loved them, their adorable children, and their crazy parties.

I only discovered their annual themed anniversary parties last year, and I remember looking forward to all the themes to come because it seemed like they were so great together.

“In a statement Sunday night, the power couple announced their separation after rumors swirled over the weekend that a divorce was imminent.

While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul searching we have decided to separate," the joint statement read. "We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart. This is an amicable process and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition. We thank our family, friends, and fans for their kind words of support. And for our children's sake, we appreciate you respecting our privacy."

 

Their sexay video.

I guess Ric Ocasek (of the Cars) and Paulina Porizkova are our only hope for musician/model eternal love. They’ve got some cute kids too.

This pic is from 2006. I’m just assuming the kids are still cute.

Friday Funny–passport stupidity

Found via my #1 timewaster Reddit, here’s a little nugget of dumbness from Yahoo! Answers.

If you’re grown-up enough to get married, maybe you should be smart enough to do a little Internet sleuthing on your own, no?

I wonder if they truly tried to exchange their Dollars for Puka shells.

Happy weekend!

Post Secret wedding secrets

There were a few wedding related secrets posted to Post Secret this weekend. Every secret gives me a new opportunity to see the world through a stranger's eyes.

Post card reads I've been married for 8 months. My parents don't know...and I honestly don't think they deserve to.

It would really hurt me to have non-involved parents. I love my family so much - it would be so sad to get married and not tell them. But if the secret sender thinks they're undeserving, then it seems like the right decision. Even if it is a tough one.

I used to hate people who got married just because they liked the "idea" of a spouse. Now I think I've become one...

What is this person saying? Does she now hate herself for becoming "one of those"? Getting married to an idea is not a solid marriage foundation, but maybe it's right for both of them. I think if everyone waits for their exact, perfect, ideal person, none of us would ever get married. 

Don't marry him, He is gay!! On back: I wish it was my place to tell you.

Some Googling tells me that the Locust on the Park apartment building is in Philadelphia. I think the sender is trying to get the attention of the future bride. This one makes a mess of a situation in my brain. I'm glad that the sender knows his/her place in someone else's relationship (i.e. to stay out of it).

What do you think? Do you also read Post Secret and imagine yourself each scenario? Do you judge the post card senders, or do you try to put yourself in that person's place?

-KB

Slow trainwreck destroys cake

It's obvious that this video will end in disaster. When I first watched it, I was curious to see what type of disaster it would be.



The cake comes out on a trolley, and the woman immediately gets to work lighting the scary sparkler candles. Terrible music plays as she makes faces and attempts to get more than three of the candles lit. Slowly, she works that match around the whole cake. She never successfully gets more candles lit, so she gives up and s-l-o-w-l-y pushes the trolley into the banquet hall to present it to the guests and...

splat. Dead cake. It's all over.

Total boner jam. No cake, sad guests.

 Initially I thought it seemed pretty stupid to light a cake on fire, but now that I've seen it done properly, I want a fiery birthday cake.

Sinead calling off divorce

Happy New Year!

In case you missed it: everyone is getting divorced. Katy Perry minus Russell Brand, Sinead O'Connor minus Some Guy...wait, no, now they want to be married again.

Just a week after announcing her fourth marriage was over after just 16 days, it appears Sinead O'Connor has changed her mind. The giddy singer, 45, took to her newly re-opened Twitter account in the early hours of this morning to reveal she was reconciling with her husband Barry Herridge.

In rather revealing messages, the Irish star said the couple had been 'love-making'. Admitting they rushed down the aisle following their Las Vegas nuptials on December 8 after just four months of dating, O'Connor explained they would be 'boyfriend and girlfriend again' - despite still being legally wed.

Under her Twitter handle 'vampyahslayah' [ugh], The Nothing Compares 2 U star wrote: 'Guess who had a mad love making affair with her own husband last night? 'Yay!!! we decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend again an (sic) stay married but we did rush, so we gonna return to b friend g friend and be sickenly (sic) happy an go counsellin (sic) an move in like a yr like regular people... 'But stay married an we all in love an f**k every other motherf**ker who don't like it.. so me all happy!! me love me hubby.. he love me... f**k who no like it.. God is good!'


Her writing style makes me hate her more. 


O'Connor revealed the couple's marriage had ended in a lengthy statement on her official website on Boxing Day. In fact, they had only lived together as husband and wife for seven days following the ceremony at the Little White Wedding Chapel.

Initially, she blamed the 'intense pressure' on the couple and admitted his friends and family were unhappy with the union. A few days later, she revealed their relationship ran into problems immediately after the ceremony when she went on a hunt around Las Vegas for cannabis.

She told The Sun: 'We ended up in a cab in some place that was quite dangerous. 'I wasn't scared - but he's a drugs counsellor. What was I thinking? 'Then I was handed a load of crack. Barry was very frightened — that kind of messed everything up a bit really.' She met drug counsellor Barry, 38, after he replied to her online blog in September in which she said that she was 'sex-starved' and asked potential suitors to apply.

Clearly happy with her reignited lovelife, she later added on Twitter: 'So Sinead got laid!!!... and all well. 'Yay!!! me husband is a big hairy cave man an (sic) came to claim me with his club : ) and now I'm in cave-land.. yay!! We both go panto!' Herridge is the latest husband in a list of short-lived marriages for the unlucky-in-love star. She was previous wed and had a son Jake with musician John Reynolds in the late 80s, journalist Nick Sommerland from 2001-2004 and musician Steve Cooney in 2010 - which ended less than a year later. She also had a lengthy on/off relationship with Dermott Hayes and another that lasted about a year from 2006 and 2007 with Frank Bonadio, who is the father of her son Yeshua, four.

I normally really enjoy crazy women with strong personalities (hence my unending interest in the life of Courtney Love), but Sinead O'Connor isn't one of those women. Why would anyone take a drug counselor to buy crack - unintentionally or not. And what counselor marries a woman based on a blog post?!

Happy Everything!

I hope you're as busy as I am with all the Christmas/Solstice/Hanukkah/New Year festivities! See you next year (or maybe sooner).

Here's a Christmas picture from my make-believe happiest couple. 

Thanks for another fun year, friends and readers.

xo,
Kay Banks

AJ McLean's wedding invitations

One of the Backstreet Boy guys - A.J. McLean - is getting married this weekend. I don't give a crap about him either, but his wedding invitations were called "Gothic", so immediately I had to see them. 

Screencapped from TMZ. Don't sue me Harvey Levin, your watermark is firmly in place.

I don't know if I'd call them Gothic, exactly. TMZ aptly describes them as looking "like they were designed by Ed Hardy and Dracula". I agree, and I wouldn't say it's complimentary, because don't we all hate Ed Hardy?


Yes, yes we all hate Ed Hardy.

The invitations are beautifully crafted, but there's something about the style that exudes the arrogance of a guy who would wear a dragon-covered, bedazzled shirt.


I do like the blood-spattered font they chose.







I hate this one more than anything. It looks like the back of a that-guy shirt.


And in case you don't know what A.J. McLean and Rochelle Karidis look like, here's something that will instantly make you understand their wedding invitations.

Yep. They want to look like that. On purpose. He's making duck face. Again, on purpose.

-KB